It's a pleasure to meet up again with Marion, the distractible, acerbic, New York-based French photographer played once more by Julie Delpy in 2 Days in New York. This bouncy hand-knitted comedy of cross-cultural relationships, also directed and co-written by Delpy, makes a jaunty sequel to "2 Days in Paris."

What impresses me more is that she (Delpy) has a lighthearted way about her and takes chances in comedies like this. It is hard enough to be good at all, but to be good in comedy speaks for your character.

Parents need to know that 2 Days in New York is the follow-up to 2 Days in Paris, both directed by and starring Julie Delpy. It follows the same basic formula as the original, focusing on a couple forced to address issues in their relationship while surrounded by her very French (and very outrageous) family. There are some scenes with bickering and fairly graphic sexual banter (including a running joke that references oral sex), adult characters drink and smoke pot, and there's plenty of swearing ("f--k," "s--t," etc.). The real drama comes from watching Delpy's character and her live-in boyfriend, played by Chris Rock, navigate the rocky shoals of a real relationship, which may not be especially relatable to young people who've had few of their own.

Families can talk about Marion and Mingus. Do you think they're a good fit for each other? Do they seem like realistic people? What do you think about the way they resolve issues?

How does 2 Days in New York compare with its predecessor, 2 Days in Paris? Do they seem similar to Delpy's other well-known set of films, Before Sunrise and Before Sunset?

Do you think the movie presents a realistic view of love and relationships? Teens: What do you expect falling in love (and being together long-term) to be like? How do movies usually portray that?

The good stuff

Messages: A real relationship can be real work, but they're usually worth the effort, and negotiating through the conflicts can make a couple stronger ... even if one of them comes with some quirky and unusual family members.

Role models: Marion and Mingus are flawed but mostly behave like adults as they try to deal with some of the conflicts that arise -- between each other, with neighbors, and with her demanding family members. They try to show respect for each other as they seek common ground in a film that presents a very realistic portrait of a relationship. A little potentially offensive racial-stereotype humor from the no-boundaries French relatives.

What to watch for

Violence: Some intense bickering and one minor scrap as a woman tries to grab a document from a man and they end up wrestling on the floor.

Sex: Several graphic discussions about sex, and a few scenes feature a couple who appear to be fooling around under the covers. One woman walks around half-dressed, with brief glimpses of her breast and butt. A married couple flirts and talks about why they can't have sex with an apartment full of guests. A running joke pairs Mingus' name with a term for oral sex.

Consumerism: Many stores are visible in the background of scenes shot on location in New York City.

Drinking, drugs and smoking: Several scenes show people drinking at dinner and at parties -- and sometimes smoking cigarettes as well. Some characters smoke pot in a few scenes, and a man completes a drug deal in front of a young girl. She later emulates what she witnessed by trying to sell real grass, picked in the park, to a classmate.

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